Electric service connecter



Nov. 21, 1933.

L FEURSTEIN ET AL ELECTRC SERVICE CONNECTER Filed Jan. 29, 1952 BY( n up),

ATO

Patented Nov. l 21, 1933 UNITED STATES 1,935,771 ELECTRIC SERVICE CONNECTER Louis Feurstein, Union City, N. J., and Herbert L. Kamber, New York, N. Y.

Application January 29, 1932. serial No. 589,684

1 Claim.

This invention relates to service connections for devices utilizing electrical energy.

Special objects of the invention are to provide a device of simple pracical design and construction, adapted for use under varying situations and which can be readily interposed in the service line and be utilized there to control current flow in the line and to indicate presence or absence of current in such line.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a device of the above nature, which will be relatively small, inexpensive and light in weight and therefore adapted for use with the ordinary exible electric cords supplying current to electric irons, heaters, fans, cooking devices and the like.

The foregoing and other desirable objects are attained by the novel features of construction,

combinations and relation of parts hereinafter described and broadly claimed.

The drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification illustrates one practical commercial embodiment of the invention, it being understood that the structure may be modied and changed as regards this illustration, all within the true intent and broad scope of the claim.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating an embodiment of the invention as used in connection with an electric iron.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device with half of the case removed to show the switch and pilot lamp connections, the screws for'fastening the case together appearing in cross-section.

Fig. 3 is a view of the upper end portion of the unit.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional detail as on line 4-4 of Fig. 2. v

Fig. 5 is a view of the lower or socket terminal end of the device.

The embodiment of the invention herein disclosed is equipped at its upper end with a plug '7, carrying blade terminals 8 for plugging into a wall outlet or the like, such as indicated at 9, Fig. l and at its lower end with socket terminals at 10 to receive the blades of a terminal plug 11 on the end of the extension cord 12 of an electric iron 13 or other current consuming device.

The plug and the socket portions of the device are flexibly connected in the illustration by a short length exible cord 14 for the purpose of enabling the plug to be readily engaged with variously located outlet sockets and to permit the socket portion to assume the direction of and conform with the run of the flexible extension 55. cord. Such effects are illustrated in Fig. 1, where the upper portion of the unit is shown plugged horizontally into a side Wall outlet and the socket portion of the unit is shown hanging down vertically over the face of the wall and forming in effect a continuation of service the cord brought up in a loop from the iron. In such relation, the socket unit lies closely against the side of the wally and can swing and twist with the movements of the extension cord, as an actual part of that cord and without transmitting any strains to the connecting-in plug 7.

The socket portion of the u'nit is shown as made up of two generally similar substantially semicylindrical halves 15, 16, secured in faced engagement as by through screws indicated at 17 in Fig. 2 and having companion recesses 18, 19, longitudinally of the same for conductor strips or bars 20, 21.

At the upper ends, the longitudinal conductors 20, 21, are shown equipped with terminal screws 22, 23, for the wires of the flexible cord 14. At the lower ends, these two conductors are connected with or formed into the socket terminals 10 previously described. Actually in the illustration, the lower ends of the strips are shown bent back to constitute the integral spring contact portions 24.

The conductor 19 appearing at the right in Fig. 2 is shown as interrupted to provide separated switch terminal contacts 25, 26, adapted to be bridged by a swinging switch blade 27, snapped in opposite directions by a projecting toggle button 28.

Across the two conductors, an indicating device or pilot is cut in circuit by a branch 29, extending laterally from conductor 20, terminating in a centre lamp contact 30 and a branch 31 extending laterally in reverse direction from conductor 21 and terminating in a shell contact 32, caught between the two parts of the socket unit. In line with the lamp socket so provided, the two parts of the insulating base are hollowed or recessed to provide the windows or openings 33 for exposing the indicating lamp 34, which is screwed into the lamp socket.-

' l The pilot or indicator may be a miniature lamp,

such as indicated, glow device, or like element, which will indicate the presence or absence of current in the unit. By throwingfthe switch, the pilot may be snapped on or off, indicating whether or not there is current in the line and whether or not the switch is operating properly, before the iron or other utility device is plugged into the socket of the unit. After the iron or other device is plugged in circuit, the switch may then be utilized to control currentl ow apart from and independently of any control exercised at the iron or other device.

The pendant portion of the unit, carrying the switch, pilot and socket terminals is shown as of elongated design, so as to enable the placing of the switch, the lamp and the socket terminals in substantially longitudinal valignment and thus the keeping down of the overall dimensions in a relatively small generally cylindrical form, adding no objectionable bulk to the cord circuit. For the sake of compactness, the lamp socket is shown as centrally disposed and extending longitudinally of the insulating base portion and the window openings 33, are shown as of sufficient size to enable `the lamps being readily replaced.

What is claimed is:

` A circuit controlling and indicating unit'for use ahead of the cord circuit of an electric iron or the like and comprising an elongated base member, binding posts at one end of said base member, attachment plug socket contacts at the opposite end of said base member, a switch mounted on said base member having an operating button projecting but slightly at one side of said base member and said switch being connected in between the binding posts at one end of the member and the attachment plug socket contacts at the oppositeend of the member to control flow of current from the latter, a current indicating device mounted on said member and connected in between the switch and the attachment plug socket contacts to indicate absence or presence of current at the attachment plug socket contacts as controlled by the switch, said current indicating device being mounted within the base member and so protected thereby and said base member having a window or windows in the side of the same so that said current indicating dedevice is easily seen, an attachment plug and a short length of exible electric cord, mechanically and electrically connected between said attachment plug and the binding posts on the end of the base member and flexibly connecting said base member as a constantly and closely associated part of said attachment plug for hanging 4said elongated `base member from a side wall outlet, so that the current indicating device will plainly show through the side of the same and whereby after plugging said attachment plug into a wall outlet or the like and then plugging the attachment end of a cord circuit into said attachment plug socket contacts, said member will hang suspended closely against the wall and flexing freely to the pull of the cord circuit in convenient circuit controlling and indicating relation adjacent the wall outlet.

I LOUIS FEURSTEIN.

HERBERT L. KAMBER. 

